yeah, the grande isn't even manufactured any more. only the ciao survives in italy. but .... the grande always makes me drool. what a hot hot bike.
but keep in mind also that if you're looking for a two-person bike, it's probably illegal to ride double in most states. you can do it. but you might get a ticket or at least some hassle by cops. keep that in mind.
that said, any large seat bike will do the trick, though you might lose a bit of speed. a long-seat motobecane or garelli should do fine.